Meet the miracle Liverpool baby born at 23 weeks weighing just 1lb 3oz

Baby Wade Burgess who was born on the 14th June at Liverpool Women's Hospital weighing just 1lb 3oz. He is now back home with his mum Donna Burgess, sister Ava-Leigh, three and brothers Cameron, eight and Warren, six.

His delighted mum Donna, from Kensington, said: “He’s just a little miracle. It’s been a whirlwind.”

Tiny Wade was born on June 14 but was not due until October 8, meaning he had to spend more than four months attached to life-saving equipment in hospital.

Donna was at first unable to touch her fourth child because he was so under-developed and she feared he would not survive.

The 32-year-old said: “Not being allowed to touch him was really hard. All the time I worried about him.”

Wade Burgess was born on the 14th June at Liverpool Women's Hospital weighing just 1lb 3oz.

Now doctors have allowed Wade to go home at nearly five months of age, weighing a healthy 9lbs 8oz.

He needs an oxygen tube to help him breath as his lungs are still under-developed but medics hope he will suffer no long-term consequences.

Donna – who has three older children, Cameron, eight, Warren, six, and Ava, three, said: “I didn’t find out I was pregnant until four months.

“I was being sick so I took a test and found out. They got me in for a scan and by then I was nearly at five months. They said it was a boy.

“I had to break it to my family and everyone was in shock. And a few weeks later I had him. It was a whirlwind.”

Donna’s waters unexpectedly broke at 23 weeks into the pregnancy. Wade was delivered the following day.

Babies born before 23 weeks are often not resuscitated because survival without major disability is so rare.

Donna said: “They told me Wade had a 10% chance of survival. I was in shock. I started shaking and my mum had to calm me down. It was heartbreaking.”

Donna Burgess of Kensington with baby Wade who was born on the 14th June at Liverpool Women's Hospital weighing just 1lb 3oz.

Wade was initially kept in intensive care but he amazed doctors with his rapid progress.

The youngster needed steroids and blood transfusions to help his growth.

Donna said: “He went from a ventilator to a face mask. He was doing so well. Finally he went to nursery number six, where they prepare them for going home.

“He was all hands and feet when he was born. The worst part for me was when I was discharged seven days after he was born and I had to go home.

“I have been going up and down every day until now. Now everything is okay. He still needs oxygen but he will come off that. Hopefully he will be a healthy young lad, touch wood.”

Describing the feeling of taking Wade home for the first time, Donna said: “I’m overwhelmed He is just a little miracle. Hopefully he will get bigger and bigger. It’s been a long time coming.”

Donna Burgess of Kensington with baby Wade who was born on the 14th June at Liverpool Women's Hospital weighing just 1lb 3oz. He is now back home with his sister Ava-Leigh, three and brothers Cameron, eight and Warren, six.

Under UK law, babies can be aborted up to 24 weeks into the pregnancy – a week later than Wade’s stage of development when he was born.

Bill Yoxall, clinical director of the neonatal unit at the Women’s Hospital, said: “Wade has done amazingly well despite the challenges of extreme prematurity by being born at 23 weeks.

“Most babies do not survive when born at this gestation. Wade is the most premature baby to survive at Liverpool Women’s Hospital neonatal unit and it is great to see him go home after four and a half months in hospital.”